So, after you've started to wrap your head around online school Physical Education, let's shift to the next big thing...online fitness classes and personal training. What?
You got it. No time to drive to the health club? Just open up your laptop, log-in to your fitness subscription website, pick a class, clear your junk off the floor, and go!
If it still doesn't make sense, here's a commercial clip from Daily Burn--one of the more visible online fitness subscription sites:
Our class on Wednesday will focus on the merits of subscription-based online fitness programs, the pros/cons, opportunities for you career-wise, and challenge you to take a stand on this huge movement to bring fitness to the digital age. For now, pick one of the links below, browse that site, class options, and tell me (or comment) in 3 sentences what you think. Go!
I know you've all seen plenty of commercials for online universities--schools like DeVry, University of Phoenix, Everest, Kaplan, and many others all have a unique class-delivery method (and marketing strategy) of engaging, teaching, and assessing students. Public and nationally accredited institutions (like EMU and most others) are also looking into the future potential of online education options, with the vision that learning does not have to only happen in a traditional brick and mortar environment. Also, with technological advances rolling out faster than we can keep track of, the potential of utilizing popular and cutting edge technology in education seems like a logical way of merging personal use of technology with professional/educational uses.
As online higher education continues to roll forward, evolve, and update, we can't help but notice that online education has naturally made its way into K-12 (specifically secondary) education. You probably went to high school everyday (never cut, of course you were the perfect student) and you went to your actual high school building. You navigated the jungle of the hallway system, survived the lunchroom, and made your way into a classroom with other peers, a teacher, and a set of content that the teacher rolled out through lessons, activities, and assessments. But now think of high school like this: you wake up, roll out of bed, get your tablet booted up, and check your online course's module or daily update. You watch your teacher teach via webcast and all of your quizzes are online. You submit a paper, but you don't print it out--you upload it. You interact with your classmates through forum-based chats and teleconferencing. There's no hallway jungle, no fear of getting caught in a food fight, and no hard desk seat (unless your home is equipped with one-armed school desks).
Sounds brilliant, right? But what about classes like music where you play or sing with other people, in person/together? Or, even closer to home, what about Physical Education--how to do run, or work on game play as a team, or develop muscular endurance online? At least you could shower in the privacy of your own home, but what would a Physical Education "class" actually be like when you're alone at your laptop?
The next two weeks of PHED 370 will be directed around exploring the good, the not-so-good, and the potential of online Physical Education and online fitness programming. Get ready to think outside the gym and outside of your comfort zone.
First, watch this short video: Today's Active Digital Learner
Next check out some examples of what is available currently for online Physical Education in a district in Minnesota. Check this out and think about what it could be like as a student in this kind of a Physical Education class and what it would be like to teach Physical Education this way.
Florida has one of the most comprehensive online K-12 educational structures as a part of the public education system. Check out the links to see Florida Virtual Schools' online platform and course options:
So, now it's your turn: in your blog comment (or comment to others' posts), explain what do you think is a point of huge potential in the Minnesota, Florida, and Michigan examples. Why should online Physical Education be an option and why should it stay?
Should teacher education programs start to focus more on how to incorporate online teaching strategies along with traditional face-to-face teaching strategies? Think about the very first video you watched...that IS one of your future students!
And finally, comment on what needs to be addressed and included before we really emphasize the future of Physical Education as an online option?
Feel free to comment more than once to address each topic of your discussion.
